COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Rutgers' Coleman uses size to his advantage

Rutgers' wide receiver Brandon Coleman (17) is congratulated by teammates Betim Bujari (55), Gary Nova (15) and D.C. Jefferson (10) after catching a pass for a touchdown against Army during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Piscataway, N.J., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. Rutgers defeated Army 28-7. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

PISCATAWAY — Quarterback Gary Nova’s fade pass to the corner of the end zone to Brandon Coleman has become a trademark of the Rutgers offense.

The sophomore wide receiver leads the Scarlet Knights with 34 receptions for 503 yards and eight touchdowns. When he executes that specific scoring play, he shows off where his 6-foot-6 frame, his speed and his instincts on an option route can get him.

Despite Coleman’s size, speed and intuition, his opportunities have been limited away from the end zone. But Nova also knows where the big receiver’s strength lies.

“Down by the end zone, a lot of teams play man-to-man coverage because they’re so focused on stopping the run,” Nova said. “You just try to throw it up there and let him get it.”

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Coleman’s time to stand out comes after the departure of Mohamed Sanu, who monopolized the receiving corps last year with receptions totals and receiving yards that doubled every Rutgers receiver.

Coach Kyle Flood thinks he uses his new leading receiver just enough.

“We don’t use those kinds of expressions – No. 1 receiver, No. 2,” Flood said. “We don’t have those classifications in our offense. I think what Brandon has done, similar to what Jawan (Jamison) has done, is he’s proven he can make big plays. I think that’s valuable.”

Coleman is a threat for yards after the catch when he receives the ball away from the end zone. He caught two passes in one drive against Syracuse, which went for 27 and 43 yards, respectively.

It was one of two games when Coleman did not score. Despite leading the Knights with 104 yards in scrimmage, he also had to recover his own fumble.

Down the field, Coleman has greater opportunity to use his finesse and football IQ, which he said he has a harder time doing with the speed of the game toward the line of scrimmage.

“I had a few dropped balls and miscommunications on a couple routes — some little things that people don’t really see when they’re watching the game,” Coleman said, “but when we turn the film on, the coaches and the quarterback get together and we’re like, ‘whoa, what were you thinking here?”

Coleman tries to exploit the more common zone coverage away from the end zone, a defense that makes it more difficult for receivers like him to use his natural talents.

Regardless of how much Coleman separates himself from the rest of the receiving corps, this receiver makeup is still better for him than last year’s, when he caught only 17 passes.

“Last year was just watching (Sanu) out there on the field, a lot of balls went to him, but opportunities last year came once in a while,” Coleman said. “They didn’t come up a lot. This year, I’ve just grown (analyzing) last year.”

Sanu was a little more reliable than Coleman is now because he is a possession receiver, but Coleman tries to be consistent by developing his relationship with Nova.

It is best represented with Coleman’s trademark fade toward the end zone.

“It comes down to trust,” Coleman said. “We worked on a lot of things during the offseason, and we happened to be on the same page. We like the leverage we have on the defense.”

The 22nd-ranked Scarlet Knights (8-1, 4-0) travel to the Buckeye State Saturday for a noon kick against Cincinnati (7-2, 3-1).